Tag: disability
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Federal judge green-lights trial for ex-Rio Grande County sheriff employee’s hostile work environment claims
A federal judge on Monday found a former Rio Grande County sheriff’s dispatcher had not shown she was subjected to disability discrimination or was retaliated against, but that a jury would need to decide whether she experienced a hostile work environment based on her sex and ancestry. Then-Sheriff Don McDonald fired Lauren N. Trujillo in…
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Judge dismisses constitutional claim against detective despite ‘eyebrow-raising’ investigation into motel
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Greenwood Village motel operator’s constitutional rights claim against a detective who allegedly singled out the establishment for a criminal investigation based on its willingness to house people with disabilities long-term. Zarrin Hospitality Group, Inc. is the operator of a Motel 6 at 9201 E. Arapahoe Road. Its owner…
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Federal judge dismisses claims against DPS over disabled student who fell out of window
A federal judge concluded on Tuesday that a cognitively disabled student failed to allege Denver Public Schools and one of its employees violated his constitutional rights by briefly leaving him unattended in a classroom, only for him to climb out of the window and fall two stories. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney rejected…
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Federal judge dismisses ex-Loveland employee’s conspiracy claims against city
A federal judge dismissed the claims of a former Loveland city employee last week who alleged a conspiracy by her employer to deprive her of unemployment benefits and tarnish her reputation. Michele DiPietro worked as a paralegal for the city attorney’s office during 13 months between 2020 and 2021. In her telling, DiPietro’s request for…
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Appeals court rejects state’s argument that severely disabled sex offenders cannot de-register
Colorado’s second-highest court last week clarified for the first time that a 2018 change to state law now permits severely disabled sex offenders who are otherwise required to register for life to discontinue their registrations. Defendants convicted of certain serious sex crimes are generally required to register for the rest of their lives. However, the legislature in 2018 enacted…
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Federal judge finds ‘just enough evidence’ to green-light deaf woman’s trial against Adams County sheriff
A federal judge last month agreed a jury should decide whether the Adams County sheriff violated a deaf detainee’s rights by failing to secure an American Sign Language interpreter during her 12-hour stay in the jail. Cynthia Mullen filed suit under the Rehabilitation Act, a precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act that protects people from…
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Federal judge allows ‘supermax’ prisoner’s limited religious freedom claims to proceed
A federal judge last week permitted a Muslim man serving a life sentence in Colorado’s “supermax” prison for terrorism-related offenses to pursue a limited number of religious freedom claims against the government. Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, also known as Abu Hamza, arrived at the U.S. Penitentiary – Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence in 2015. A British citizen, Mostafa was…